Only Once
by Karashi
Summary: When she isn't who he thinks she is, the Saiya-jin no Ouji may end up with more than he bargained for. AU B/V fic.
1. Prologue: Never Again

**Disclaimers:** Dragon Ball Z and its respective characters belong to Akira Toriyama.**  
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**Prologue:** Never Again

_"We believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it: History."_

The sirens blared throughout the complex, loud and unrelenting but utterly useless to the mutilated bodies that had once been scientists and soldiers littering the floors. The air was thick with the stench of spilled blood and charred flesh, the metal walls reverberating with the echoes of laser-fire missing their targets and agonized screams before streaks of crimson painted scorched surfaces. Desperate pleading fell upon deaf ears, guttural threats chilled blood, the sounds of futile struggles and vicious vengeance exploding into a cacophony of death and destruction before fading into silence.

Figures growled and paced restlessly in front of a reinforced alloy gate, unable to do little more than leave shallow gouges and unimpressive dents. A wave of energy rippled through their ranks, they turned, dark eyes widen in feral glee at the arrival of the luminous one. They fell to their knees, some on their faces, in fear and awe as he walked past, his countenance regal despite the threadbare rags of a slave clinging to his sculpted form, his teal eyes staring straight at the barrier before him in annoyance.

He studied the gate, absently rubbing his chin through his golden beard. There came the ringing squeal of rending metal as he ripped the gate off its hinges, tossing it away with minimal effort.

"Free our people," he rasped sharply. His followers nodded in understanding, pouring through the entrance to carry out his orders and leaving him to fulfill his own objectives. He sniffed at the air, tail lashing out behind him as he stalked down his prey.

His search led him down a long, narrow corridor that cut off into a dead end. His scowl deepened, his Ki spiking sharply when he locked onto a familiar signature he'd spent nearly two decades hating. The wall before him insisted he needed to take a different path to reach his target, but he didn't stop, didn't even hesitate when he gave the wall a shove and plowed on, snarling deadly promises in his feral language as he shoved large, blocky, blinking contraptions out of his way.

"You take another step and I will blow subject five's head off!" warned a small man dressed in armor, his lime eyes narrowed grimly behind an odd device perched on his ear, thin lips pinched into a frown. He cocked a gun at a bound, bleeding female, knowing the heavy manacles weighing her arms and clasped around her neck made her vulnerable and unable to fight back.

Confusion rippled through teal eyes when they saw her.

He knew her, didn't he? Memories resurfaced in his mind: His fingers threading through a silken cascade of hair as dark as the evening sky. Brown-furred tails entwined behind their backs. His gaze staring into wide, unflinching sable eyes as they sharpen with wicked glee. His body dodging the overwhelming hail of Ki fire from her palms. And feeling soft, lilting laughter feathering across his neck.

But the female the armored man held captive had hair and a tail the color of pale ice; her wide eyes were faded seas, her Ki barely higher than a newborn cub.

She seemed to understand and forgive him his confusion because she smiled at him, warm and joyous, through bloodied lips. He knew how it felt to see her smile that way, knew a sharp stab of pain would bloom in his chest should tears ever well in her eyes, knew the blinding rage he'd give into should anyone dare threaten her.

Old gods, who _was_ she?

And then, in her soft lilting voice, she whispered, "You did it. You've become the Legendary."

Recognition flashed in his glowing eyes, realization hitting him with a near audible crash. A startled cry burst from the armored man's mouth, the device mounted on his face exploding from the wave of power that lanced through the air.

Hissing in pain, the man brought up his hand to yank the charred remnants. Only he no longer had any arms. Lime eyes stared in disbelief, mouth gasping for air like a fish out of water, blood pouring from his shoulders in rivers. When the pain caught up to him, he toppled over, writhing on the floor and blubbering, "It was for your own good! None of you knew the dangers of your powers! Why can't you stupid monkeys understand? We were only trying to help you! Subject five, you-"

"Silence, you miserable Tuffle worm!" The Legendary roared, his golden aura brightening to blinding. His hand met no resistance as it plunged through armor, burying itself wrist-deep into the Tuffle's gut, fingers clenching tight around entrails.

"Mercy, please, spare me! I beg of you!" he shrieked, nearly choking on his bile and blood.

"For twenty years you've enslaved my people, treated us like animals, warped us with your experiments," Ki began to collect in an organ-covered, clenched hand. "You tortured those who share my bloodline, tainted those of my mate's, and you have the gall to expect _mercy__?_"

The Tuffle gave a wet, agonized whimper at the heat radiating from the fist lodged in his body, felt a searing pressure build until he exploded into a shower of flesh and armor.

"His death was too swift," the female chuckled weakly.

He grunted in response as he knelt down to free her from her chains, suddenly unable to look at her. His strength faded, his upswept hair losing its golden sheen, deepening into midnight, brown-furred tail hesitantly seeking out its ice-blue counterpart. He felt her slim fingers smooth over his beard, the pad of her thumb wiping away the flecks of blood on his face.

She leaned close to him, equally unable to meet his gaze as he sadly, weakly whispered, "You are no longer my mate."

"I know." she sighed, barely audible. "I understand."

Numbly, he rose, trying to still the frustrated shaking of his fists. "We would have found each other after the war, after we got our freedom. We would have been together."

"Except you became our Legendary. You belong to our people now."

Slowly, he faced her, their eyes meeting for what may be the last time as he promised her, "I will build our people a powerful empire upon the slain bodies of our enemies. I will undo the damage done to our honor. No one will ever remember the shame of our enslavement."

Wordlessly, he left. Unhearing of her despondent murmurings, "Our blood will remember long after our mind forgets."

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**Author's Notes:** Short prologue to AU fic is short! I decided to play around with one of the other fairly popular "What If" plots. The chapters for this fic will be fairly short as someone whose literary opinion I value complained that I've been word-padding. Comments, reviews, and suggestions are very much loved and appreciated.


	2. Chapter One: Lessons

**Chapter One:** **Lessons**

_"Here we are, a careful distance."_

Of the many lessons the Crown Prince of Vegeta-sei had to sit through, history was by far the hardest to keep awake in. It wasn't so much as how the subject bored him, far from it. The Prince knew and understood the importance of knowing his heritage, of how their struggles made his people grow stronger, craftier, until they laid waste to all their enemies and their empire flourished under the reign of his ancestors. It filled him with pride, made him eager and ready to prove himself just as powerful, just as deserving to rule his people as the next King, just as capable of leaving a glorious mark in their history.

The only reason why his eyes desperately wanted to droop shut was because of the unending, monotonous drone that was his tutor's voice. Vegeta canted his head to the side, absently avoiding the meaty fist that tried to cuff his ear and grabbing his mentor by the wrist at the same time. With a flick of his own wrist, he flung the larger Saiya-jin across the room.

The history tutor had stopped reading aloud from the textbook and simply taken to pressing himself flat against the wall as he had always done whenever the two powerful warriors got rowdy.

Nappa twisted his body in time to land on his feet, skidding to a halt a good distance away from his young liege. There was a disapproving scowl on the tall, mustached Saiya-jin's face as he growled, "You should be paying attention, Ouji-sama."

"I was," the young boy smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "Unless you'd rather consider your failed attack as you losing your touch, old man."

The older Saiya-jin's eye twitched, knowing full well that despite the glazed look of boredom that had settled on the Crown Prince's features just moments ago Vegeta hadn't let his guard down. But Nappa also knew from experience as the Prince's bodyguard and battle instructor that even if he had caught the young man unaware, the result would have been the same. The burly Elite hadn't been able to lay a chastising hand on Vegeta since the Prince turned a decade old. And the gap between their raw power and speed had widened into a chasm over the next five years.

"Tutor," Nappa barked, fixing dark eyes at the cringing alien, "Check if he was listening to what you were yammering about."

Three eyes blinked before the alien asked "Which ruler was it that defeated the Tsiru-jins?"

"That's a trick question," Vegeta shook his head, "You could be referring to the Tsiru-jin war that lasted three ruling generations, or you could just as easily be referring to when we first wrestled economic control of the Planet Trade Organization from them. Ask me something with a more definitive answer."

"Alright, name two major changes your grandfather implemented after the Tsiru-jin war."

"Female infants were no longer allowed to participate in purging missions, and infant purging missions were now optional rather than mandatory," his tone was disapproving, "Though I intend to make it mandatory again when I become King. The numbers of weaklings have been on a steady increase and I intend to correct that." He flashed a taunting smirk at his mentor.

Despite the blow to the bald Saiya-jin's ego, Nappa couldn't help but swell in pride at how much Vegeta-sei's future ruler favored the ruthless nature of his ancestors, and he marveled at his young liege's Ki level, almost to the point of awe. There was only one individual capable of facing the boy should the Crown Prince ever lose control of his temper and that was King Vegeta himself.

Who was suddenly in the doorway.

Everyone fell to their knees in the presence of the King, even the Prince was bowing low to hide the confusion in his eyes. His father wasn't supposed to be here in the palace, not during Inspections.

The King acknowledged their show of respect with a simple command of "Rise." Then he turned his attention to Nappa, gruffly asking "How goes the boy's studies?"

"He is doing very well, Ou-sama," the Elite replied with a bow. "Knows his heritage and numbers like he does battling."

An approving nod before the King motioned for Vegeta to follow him into the hallways. And wordlessly, if not slightly suspicious, the Prince went after his father. As the pair walked down the corridors leading to the palace gates with Nappa not too far behind, the King began to speak.

"You've recently come of age, but you still have a long way to go before you are truly a man," the older Vegeta smirked, "It's high time you accompanied me on these Inspections. There is still much for you to learn."

"Why not just hire more tutors, then?" The younger Vegeta scoffed. "Old gods know you've gotten me one for just about every subject imaginable."

The King gave a hearty chuckle, each donning a scouter as the gates parted and they stepped beyond the palace grounds. "Some things can only be taught through experience, boy. Try not to kill anyone that displeases you, we're starting at the Science Complex after all."

Vegeta's lips curled in distaste, the young man had no desire to mingle with those who could not defend themselves without the aid of a machine. But the warning glare from his father as the King took flight meant any attempt to protest would be met with harsh punishment that went beyond physical pain. Grudgingly, with his arms folded across his chest, the Prince joined his father in the sky as they flew towards the outskirts of the Capital where the Science Complex stood.

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If Vegeta thought it difficult to stay awake during his history lessons, the Inspection of the Science Complex was infinitely worse. He, his father, and a squad of Elite guards were led down corridors and into large rooms filled with half-finished devices that blinked and beeped and served absolutely no purpose as far as the young Prince were concerned. He had tried to pay attention, to understand whatever it was the Saiya-jin Mastertechs were building in their laboratories but it was getting harder and harder to keep himself from yawning.

Before he reached the point where he no longer _cared_ whether or not he embarrassed his father by offending the Mastertechs, the King wisely suggested he learn the layout of the building.

"Alone," the elder Vegeta barked at Nappa just as the big man was about to shadow the Prince.

"B-but Ou-sama, it's my-"

"Sworn duty to protect the boy, I'm well aware of that. But I brought him here to begin his _other_ lessons, and he cannot learn them with you hovering nearby."

Vegeta wasted no time in leaving, glad for the reprieve from boredom even for such a simple task. The workers in the Complex scurried out of his way even before they saw him coming, their scouters immediately picking up his approach. Their fear brought a satisfied smirk to his face; his reputation preceded him it seemed.

_All the better_, he decided, as he simply wanted to get this over and done with. As he silently made his way down to the lower floors of the Complex, he noticed his scouter was picking up fewer and fewer people and more and more machines.

As he entered the deepest level, he passed a large placard nailed to the wall informing him that he was entering the testing zone. There came a sharp squeal of static from his scouter, and Vegeta flinched in pain. He fiddled with the device, cursing it beneath his breath when the signal refused to clear then promptly flatlined. With a grumble he removed the scouter and continued on, eventually arriving at a cavernous antechamber where a group of Teliken-jin free-man techs were struggling to carry a wide, metal panel towards the center of the room.

"Be careful with that, you idiot!" A broad-shouldered Saiya-jin barked when one the purple-skinned aliens lost his grip. He shook his head in annoyance; the movement disturbing not a single strand of his short-cropped hair. "And hurry it up! Everything has to be ready before Inspection!"

"You would finish setting up your station faster if you did something besides yell, Cabaj-sempai," a female voice grumbled from beneath the console of an empty regen tank.

Cabaj glared darkly at her direction, "I have to be presentable, brat," he huffed, meticulously adjusting the cuffs of his spotless, tech apprentice uniform. Even though he carried himself confidently, there was a faint hint of discomfort in his eyes, as if he was unaccustomed to what he was wearing. "You should remember to look in a mirror before presenting yourself to his Majesties."

A young Saiya-jin girl, younger than the Crown Prince, just scoffed as she emerged from the cramped space beneath the console. She was a stark contrast to her fellow tech apprentice with her slight frame and her sleek ebony hair. With grease smudges on her fair skin and permanent chemical-stains on her uniform, Vegeta guessed she was far more hands on than her senior. She fixed her wide sable eyes at what Cabaj was making the free-man techs assemble in his place, her lips curling into a smirk, "You're seriously going to present that project to the King _and_ the Prince? You that desperate to embarrass yourself?"

"You think yourself so clever," Cabaj sneered down at her. "Why are you presenting mere modifications? Where's that _special project_ you so proudly claim the Saiya-jin no Ouji inspired you to create?"

A sly smirk danced across the girl's face, "Wouldn't you and your mentor like to know?"

Cabaj snorted, "What a noncommittal answer. You obviously have nothing. After all, what could you possibly come up with from watching that arrogant brat?"

Vegeta heard himself growl and felt his fists clench at the insult. He was about to make his presence known when the girl unknowingly mirrored the Prince's stance. Something about her outrage on his behalf gave him pause.

"You foist off your work on the tech-slaves and spend more effort in preening in front of a mirror rather than on your projects. What would you know about having the weight of the world on your shoulders and still finding the strength to keep fighting?"

"If it's about fighting, girl, then I can show you plenty," Cabaj flashed her a predatory grin.

She blanched at his words but held her ground, every muscle in her body tensing into a defensive stance as the older male stalked towards her. Vegeta knew the beginnings of a courtship spar when he saw one and even if it was not mutually reciprocated the young Prince knew there would be consequences if he got involved. The older Saiya-jin would consider it an affront to his honor, and while Vegeta had no qualms about insulting the apprentice, interrupting a courtship spar meant he himself had some interest in the female.

And because he didn't, Vegeta stayed out of it.

When Cabaj loomed menacingly over her, she bared her teeth and snarled at him, "Bardock will kill you if you touch me."

"You won't have your mentor's protection to hide behind you once you come of age in two years," he gave her a smug leer before promptly resuming to order the workers about.

It was several minutes before the girl regained her composure and school her features into a stoic mask. A series of shrill beeps sounded and with a slightly trembling hand, she retrieved an unusual scouter from the pocket of her uniform. She slipped the device on, listened silently for a few seconds then started for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Cabaj demanded, his dark eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"The Prince is somewhere in the lower levels of the Complex, and as the junior apprentice I got tasked to escort him here." She glanced back, flashing him a mocking grin, "It's obviously not because you're so woefully behind on just about everything." She had recovered her sharp tongue.

Activating her scouter, she abruptly came to a halt so near where Vegeta stood in the shadows that he couldn't help but notice something odd about her scent. It was not entirely unpleasant but there seemed to be something unnatural to it. Then again, she had been tinkering with machines not too long ago.

Immediately, she got down on bended knee, the sleek strands of her ebony hair falling forward as she fixed her gaze to the ground in a respectful greeting. "How long have you been there, Ouji-sama?" she asked, her voice a careful neutral while loud enough for the others to hear and follow suit.

"Long enough," he smirked at the sudden lack of color on Cabaj's face.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting. Your father sent word to wait for him here and that he will be here shortly," she recited automatically.

Vegeta was disappointed that she hid her fire and attitude in his presence. But it couldn't be helped. He was the Crown Prince and in a few decades time he would be the King. His subjects had to behave a certain way around him after all. He kept his thoughts to himself, shifting his stance to fold his arms behind his back, pulling his posture ramrod straight as befitting royalty when he bade them to stand.

"Why did my father contact your scouter rather than mine?" Vegeta asked curiously.

"The lower levels have special dampers built in the walls to keep our Ki from accidentally setting off the more volatile experiments. It also interferes with the frequency the scouters use to communicate," Cabaj explained before gesturing to the girl's device, "Hers is modified."

"Only one of its kind," she added in feigned modesty.

"If the logic and mechanics behind your modifications could be understood it wouldn't be," the male tech apprentice glowered.

Her wide eyes flashed angrily at the older Saiya-jin, her mouth opening to argue when her scouter alerted them of an approaching group. Cabaj immediately went into a frenzy to finish in time for the Inspection.

A beat and the girl cleared her throat, "Do you require anything, Ouji-sama?"

He mulled over her question, looked her in the eyes, which Vegeta noted were flecked with specks of sky blue, and replied, "Your name."

She blinked, clearly not expecting that for an answer but all the same she acquiesced with a simple, "Bulma."

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**Author's Notes:** I swear, there is a reason that Bulma looks the way she does! I'm also using the term "saiya-jin" because I realize I use -jin for just about every specie except theirs and so for consistency's sake I'll be using "saiya-jin" in this fic. I may switch between Saiyan and Saiya-jin in my other fics though, just an FYI.


	3. Chapter Two: Gentle Cruelty

**Chapter Two: Gentle Cruelty**

_"You can't even save yourself."_

"Bulma?" The Prince cocked a brow in curiosity as he remarked, "That doesn't sound like a traditional Saiya-jin name." He didn't miss the sudden tension in the girl's posture nor the way those sky-blue flecks of her eyes seemed to flash briefly before she got to her knees.

"It isn't in the main Capital. But it's a name reserved for the few noble-born females of the Western continent," answered the King with his gruff voice before he turned to Nappa, growling in disappointment, "And you said he was doing well with his studies."

"F-forgive me, Ou-sama," the bald Elite looked askance.

"Rise," the King instructed to those present, dark eyes widening slightly in mild surprise when his gaze fell upon the female tech apprentice. "You are Sharllot's cub, are you not?"

Bulma wordlessly nodded, seemingly awe-struck by the King's presence.

"You're the spitting image of your mother," Vegeta's father added, tone surprisingly soft, "She was one of the more powerful female Elites. Would have been a candidate to whelp me an heir had she not been already moonbound. How else is she like her mother, Bardock?" He asked, turning towards the direction where Nappa stood.

Vegeta followed his father's gaze towards the scarred man garbed in the armor of a Squad Leader, and was surprised to find the additional rank of Mastertech decorating the paldrons. A rare combination and quite difficult to achieve, the Prince wondered how he hadn't met him before.

"She takes more after her father, Ou-sama," Bardock sounded like he was apologizing and Vegeta couldn't help but sneak a glance at Bulma's reaction. To her credit, her face was the stoic mask expected of Saiya-jins, but again he spied a quick flash of blue in those sable orbs.

"You mean to say she's weak like her father," Nappa snorted in disappointment. "Such wasted potential. What did Sharllot ever see in Kaepa?"

"Strength in intelligence," Bulma stated evenly, though she met Nappa's hard stare brazenly and went so far as to continue, "Character and forethought. And the ability to think before blindly leaping into action. A great many things you, from what I've heard, seem to lack, Nappa-san. But I look forward to being proven wrong." The curve of her lips was sweet, but her eyes glittered with the sharp malice typical of female Saiya-jins.

It earned her a chorus of chuckles from the other Elites and a menacing growl from Nappa. Bardock was suddenly in front of the bigger warrior, glaring a warning not to take a step towards the female tech apprentice. Vegeta suppressed a smirk, expecting his battle instructor to swat away the Mastertech before giving the young female the same treatment, blinking when the bald Saiya-jin only shot the scarred warrior a murderous glare.

The King only laughed, "Seems she inherited Sharllot's temper and tongue as well. That could prove very dangerous for you, girl, if your fists aren't as sharp as your wit." The gravity behind the sovereign's words were not lost on the Prince nor Bulma, judging from the way the tech apprentice set her gaze down. "But enough of that, let's finish the Inspection."

Vegeta gave a silent cheer that this ordeal was _nearly_ over and moved to stand at the fringes of the cluster of Elites hovering around his father. As Cabaj and his mentor began to drone on about their construct, Vegeta found himself more interested in the snatches of conversation he managed to overhear between Bulma and her mentor.

"Picking a fight with an Elite, should I be relieved you managed not to offend the Prince?" Bardock growled low, nearly too low to hear had the Prince not been straining to listen over the white noise of Cabaj's voice. "Radditz has obviously been too soft on you."

"If _you_ were around to train me and oversee my apprenticeship, maybe I'd have better control over my temper," she argued back, voice equally soft and equally irate, as she made whatever last minute adjustments the regeneration tank needed.

"Do you know the bureaucratic hell I had to go through to have my planet-leave coincide with the Inspections, girl?"

"I don't see how today would have been any different. Mastertech Apaya has been gladly standing in your place every time you're sent off-world to purge a planet or quell a rebellion or _whatever else_ being Squad Leader entails."

"Mastertech or no, I do not approve of you spending more time than necessary with that alien and-"

"-What does the Prince think of the machine?"

Onyx eyes blinked at the intrusion and Vegeta nearly let out a snarl of annoyance that he had to tear himself away from conversation he'd been eavesdropping on. Instead, he turned to face the male tech apprentice, and leveled a haughty, unimpressed sneer at the praise-seeking expression on Cabaj's face.

"It's trash and a waste of resources," Vegeta declared, even if he hadn't been paying much attention to the tech apprentice and his mentor while they demonstrated the strange, cumbersome-looking contraption's purpose.

Through some stroke of luck his father agreed with him, "The scouters are more than enough to give us the necessary readings your machine provides."

"B-but Ou-sama, this will allow us view all the way down to the sub-atomic level!" Cabaj reasoned.

"When will I ever need to see anyone explode from a Ki-blast on a sub-atomic level?" the young Prince scoffed, folding his arms impatiently across his chest. From the corner of his eye, he saw the female tech apprentice bite back a snicker and he guessed it was more from the disapproving glower of Bardock rather than any semblance to consideration.

The King glared at his son's impudence, "Devote your energy on more worthwhile projects. Let's see what the girl has in store for us."

"It looks just like any other regen tank," Nappa muttered when Bulma directed their attention to the healing device.

"Looks can be very deceiving, Nappa-san," the girl coolly stated, obviously trying her best not to bait the short-tempered Elite who still looked like he wanted to wring her neck. "As we all know the regen tanks was originally Tsiru-jin technology and only worked with the Tsiru-jins. Based on certain principles of the Tsiru-jin Ki-dampers, the Saiya-jin Mastertechs of the Western continent modified the design so that non-Tsiru-jins could use it without coming to harm. However, the schematics and the chemicals being used for the past centuries while effective are becoming very expensive and are altogether not very efficient."

She proceeded to explain how the modifications would mean shorter healing cycles and cheaper alternatives that were just as effective, if not better. She had even managed to concoct a batch tailor made to enhance the Saiya-jin healing factor.

"How did it occur to you to upgrade the tanks, girl?" the King asked, visibly impressed.

"It was an unfinished project Kaepa begun a few months before Sharllot and her battalion fell to the Rioglo-jins over six years ago. And because they were moonbound, he died a week after she did," Bardock answered on Bulma's behalf.

"Why did it take so long to complete?" Vegeta found himself genuinely wanting to know. Surely something as beneficial as this would not have been relegated to the background.

"Mastertechs from Kaepa's bloodlines have always been heralded as geniuses even by non-Saiya-jin standards. None of the other Mastertechs, alien or otherwise, could even begin to understand the concepts he'd begun to work on."

"Not even the great Bardock managed to figure it out?" Nappa mocked.

The scarred Saiya-jin shook his head, showing no shame in his shortcoming. "I've worked closely with Kaepa long enough to know I'd never be able to come to any sort of headway on my own. His cub, however," he placed a protective hand on Bulma's shoulder, "Once instated as tech apprentice and given access to his plans, she not only finished Kaepa's project but she's even begun one of her own."

"How did you become her Mentor if you couldn't even match her father?" Again the snide taunt of Nappa.

"On Kaepa's deathbed I took a blood-oath to watch over all their chattels until the girl came of age. And she was included in the pledge."

Vegeta found the politics and old grudges between the Elites trite and unnecessary and would have ignored it had his father not growled a warning into his ear that: "These will become day-to-day affairs once you take the throne, boy. Learn how to handle them while you have not become directly involved."

Uttering a silent curse, the Prince continued to observe, noticing the way the continuing exchange between Nappa and Bardock had the female tech apprentice listening with rapt attention and had her fists clenching and unclenching.

"You mentioned creating a chemical composition for the Saiya-jin healing factor. I'm curious how your father managed to come up with that. And I want _you_ to answer me, girl," the King stated pointedly.

Bulma glanced briefly to her mentor then she squared her shoulders back and responded, "My father only suggested the possibility but that was as far as he got with his research. I asked the Medical staff for records, documents, anything that could be of some use and then I found an old file in the archives. It took me a few weeks to properly analyze the data but it provided me the missing pieces."

She grew silent at the grim expression on the King's face, confusion and fear appearing in those wide, sable eyes for an instant before she schooled her features back into an impassive mask.

"Bardock, what is the highest power level the girl ever reached?"

Vegeta shook his head at the dismally low number the scarred Mastertech had given. She may have the blood of Elites but she was no better than a Third Class. Even if she was the most brilliant Mastertech of her line, or even of all time, she was first and foremost a Saiya-jin.

And power meant everything.

"Your weakness may become a liability," Vegeta taunted, his lips curling into a mocking smirk. "That is, if you ever leave the Science Complex."

What he had said in cruel jest, his father seemed to take into serious consideration. Because the next thing he knew, Vegeta heard the King sentencing the girl to a survival mission.

"Alone on a purged planet. No scouter, no weapons, no technological knick-knack you techs would use for convenience. Just your wits and your strength. If you are still alive after a year's time, you have proven yourself worthy of being an Elite and may continue your apprenticeship."

The tech apprentice and her mentor knew better than to protest the direct orders of the King. "When am I to depart, Ou-sama?" she asked, daring to meet her sovereign's gaze in the Saiya-jin's instinctive manner of facing a challenge head on.

"Tomorrow," was the curt response. Turning to Cabaj's mentor, the King continued, "Mastertech Saguchel, see to the necessary preparations."

"Ou-sama?" Bardock blinked.

"Do not take it as a slight against you, Mastertech Bardock. You have sworn a blood-oath to see to the cub's safety on pain of your life and having you involved with this potentially fatal mission would have you violate that oath."

It was a sound explanation to be certain. But it obviously did not sit well with the female or her mentor.

The Inspections had ended for the day and none too soon for Vegeta. But while the rest filed out of the anteroom, the King ordered Saguchel and the Prince to stay behind. The former to discuss the details of the girl's mission, the latter to be privy to such matters should he ever find it necessary to send someone on such a task.

"I know just the planet to send her to, Ou-sama. It won't be put up on the auction block for another ten years to give the-"

"The planet is irrelevant because she will not be returning." The King deftly cut in.

"I beg your pardon?" the Mastertech blinked.

So did Vegeta.

"I wouldn't be surprised if a tech slave had missed some vital adjustments. But what does one expect from cheap labor."

The King left with his cape and his son trailing after him. The Prince didn't voice his confusion at the turn of events. There was no need for it. His father was more than willing to explain his actions.

"You did well in realizing she was a liability. In due time I will tell you why. For now, just have patience. There are things only a King may know."

The Prince narrowed his eyes suspiciously, knowing there was more to what his father said. "Why go through such lengths? Why not simply kill her and be done with it?"

A heavy, tired sigh escaped his father's mustached lips, "If she were a mere tech apprentice I would have done the deed myself. But over the decades, the Science Complex has been getting fewer and fewer Saiya-jin Mastertechs. Killing her simply because she is weak and a tech apprentice would make that number plummet. And we cannot afford to have our technological advancements placed in the hands of aliens! Especially those we conquered."

Vegeta didn't quite understand what there was to fear but he supposed this was one of the many lessons he would have to learn on his own. He didn't know what it was. All he knew was that he wouldn't be seeing the Saiya-jin girl named Bulma again.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**  
Apologies for the amount of exposition in this chapter. I had to set things up for the rest of the fic. I will admit I found it a bit, well, odd that when people wrote Bulma as a Saiyan her name was still Bulma without explaining why she didn't have the traditional vegetable-based name. So, yeah, I came up with one of my own XD Just some various trivia about the names I came up with: Cabaj = cabbage, Saguchel = lechugas, Kaepa = capers, and Sharllot = shallot :D


	4. Chapter Three: Negotiations

**Chapter Three: Negotiations**

_"It's all a game of this or that, now versus then."_

Every scouter within a hundred feet of the Coliseum suddenly exploded from the amount of raw power the devices detected. Despite the annoyed grumblings muttered beneath their breath, no one gave it a second thought. It was, after all, time for the Crown Prince's daily sparring regimen. Over the course of a decade since he came of age, the Prince's strength had grown by leaps and bounds with each passing year, so much so that many a Saiya-jin believed that he was their Legendary reborn.

It was to be expected that the energy-monitoring devices wouldn't be able to handle the strain of recording the young royal's power levels even in a mock battle. Were it not for the young royal's self-control, Vegeta-sei would have had a severe shortage of able-bodied warriors. There had been a few casualties over the course of ten years, but it was a risk any Saiya-jin warrior worth his tail would have gladly taken. A sentiment the Elites currently scheduled for the spar shared despite the fact that the Crown Prince was pissed beyond belief.

It was evident in the tense scowl that had replaced the smug arrogance so common place for one so young yet so powerful. It was obvious in the tightly clenched fist that was driving deep into some hapless Elite's sides, shoving a few rib fragments into lungs for good measure. And most clearly in the vicious battle-lust that tinged the young man's vision red, pushing him to vent his frustration on his fellow warriors, not caring whether or not they lived to see him finally calm down.

But as the last of the Elites, his old combat instructor Nappa, dropped to the blood-spattered ground of the arena, Vegeta was still in mid-air, his tail lashing agitatedly behind him while he continued to seethe. The sound of the arena gate opening drew his attention and an ominous calm settled on the Prince's shoulders when he saw who it was that entered.

The large warrior, with a mane of spiked hair that reached past his knees raised his gaze upwards to where the Prince was hovering, grim resignation clearly etched on his face as he knelt, "I am here as you ordered, Ouji-sama."

"At least you have the balls to face me, Radditz," Vegeta snarled, his tail winding back around his waist, "And you had better put up a better fight than these pathetic worms." The Prince smirked, allowing the bigger Saiya-jin to take to the air before raining a barrage of Ki-spheres upon him.

Vegeta wasn't disappointed in the battle that ensued between them. The Prince would never have added him to his Royal Entourage nor granted him the rank of Elite if Radditz had not shown _some_ promise, not even if Bardock had named that as the blood-price for the female tech-apprentice. Had she simply failed to survive her mission, there would have been no need for a blood-price.

But because the scanners reported that midway to her destination the pod malfunctioned, and as it had been the King who ordered the mission, the debt fell upon the Royal House. Bardock had instead requested all the chattels that would have been the girl's once she came of age would be recognized as part of his family's, to be passed down to his own. Something the King was more than happy to grant along with raising the Mastertech's status to Elite, as if in attempts to placate Bardock.

While the law stated a blood-price must be paid, tradition dictated the Prince was only to surround himself with the strong. And if the elbow of the larger warrior nearly meeting with the Prince's temple was not testament to that tradition, then the fact Radditz hadn't immediately fallen unconscious from the multiple blows was.

Vegeta knew this wouldn't be enough to fell the former Third Class because he wanted to prolong the spar as much as he could. The sooner this ended, the sooner he would have to face _her_. His face twisted in fury as he twisted his fist into the bigger Saiya-jin's gut before sending the big man plummeting to the ground with a hammer blow, the memories of that morning's Royal Audience hearing replaying in the Prince's mind.

* * *

The Royal Audience that morning had begun as all the others. One of his fathers' courtiers introducing dignitaries and diplomats of worlds petitioning for a bigger planet, or lobbying for a bigger share in the World Trade Organization's profits, or in some cases begging for sanctuary from some rivaling specie.

While the King dealt with the issues one after the other, the Prince silently mourned that he would someday be barred from purging missions and quelling simple rebellions, forced to sit still and listen to the pathetic grovelings and delusions of lesser aliens. Such was the price he would have to pay after he finally slays his father in combat to ascend the throne and claim his birthright.

But in the meantime, he would make the most of what little freedom his title of Crown Prince would afford him. There had been rumors of a plan to overthrow the stationed regent on Rioglo-sei. He inwardly smirked, already beginning to handpick whom from his Royal Entourage he would include for the skirmish. As he listed names in his mind, he was surprised to hear the courtier announce the very Saiya-jin he had been thinking of adding.

"Radditz, son of Bardock, wishes to present to his Majesties his findings from the retrieval mission."

"Oh? So he found something of worth on that planet?" the King quirked a brow in mild interest. "Fine, I grant him audience, let him in."

The doors to the audience chamber opened and in marched Radditz. And trailing behind him was his father Bardock who was dressed in an unusual orange garment that was obviously not of Saiya-jin origin. Vegeta blinked before quickly realizing that the young man following the large, long-maned warrior wasn't the Mastertech. He simply looked exactly like the scarred Saiya-jin. The look-alike's movement was sluggish, as if he had difficulty in walking, and his rather comical expression of confusion had the Prince curling his lip in disgust.

Pathetic.

When Radditz knelt before them, the Prince felt his Ki flare when the Saiya-jin accompanying Radditz failed to follow suit. A growl escaped both Prince and King when Bardock's double had the audacity to look them in the eye. The insolent Saiya-jin would have met his end if he hadn't gotten to his knees when a dainty hand pushed down on his shoulders, revealing a slim, fair-skinned woman, with hair the color of the sky and wide eyes that matched. She spoke low to Bardock's double in an alien tongue as she herself went down on bended knee, the long slit in her pristine, white gown exposing the pale skin of her legs.

"And what do we have here, Radditz?" the King demanded evenly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion at the aforementioned warrior. "Am I to assume that your younger brother failed his infant purging mission?"

Radditz nodded, "There is little point in trying to deny his failure, Ou-sama, but that is because he suffered from a blow to the head when he first emerged from his pod. It had scrambled his brain and because of that, the natives managed to subdue him."

"Have you come to report that you have carried out your brother's mission in his stead?"

"Ou-sama, forgive me for speaking out of turn," the woman suddenly cut in, her gaze still lowered to the ground, "But surely my presence is indication enough that Chikyuu was not purged?"

"The only reward a Saiya-jin receives for failure is death," the Prince scoffed, audibly disappointed in Radditz. "But I suppose there is no shame in preferring to die by the hands of your fellow Saiya-jin.

"On the contrary, Ouji-sama," the girl's tone was suddenly icy as she raised her head, her delicate features suddenly sharpening, "Radditz ought to be rewarded for staying his hand."

Vegeta growled openly, Radditz's younger brother seemed to have picked up his insolence from the Chikyuu-jin. Perhaps he ought to _show_ the bitch the folly of her ways. He would have done just that, most likely with a Ki-blast big enough to blow her head off, had his father not decided to be pragmatic and give the female the chance to speak.

"You sound rather sure of yourself, Chikyuu-jin, your confidence had better not be unfounded," the King warned.

"Thank you, Ou-sama," she rose to her feet, squaring her shoulders in an attempt to appear more commanding. It would have worked, had their scouters not indicated her power level was only higher than that of a newborn cub's, one that would have been sent on an infant purge if those had still been mandatory. "Chikyuu will serve the Saiya-jin Empire better if you annex it as opposed to purging it. While it may be of no use in terms of a military standpoint, the planet itself is rich in resources. Why let some other specie reap the benefits? Surely you can see that it would be far more cost-effective to bring in raw materials from a planet under your control than from an independent third party or an ally?"

"We already have a string of planets dedicated in providing us with the raw materials we require. You're going to have to offer more than that if you wish to keep your world, girl."

This didn't faze her in the least, if anything, the smile that suddenly appeared on her lips seemed to suggest she had been expecting it. "Ah, but how many of these planets have the technology to allow a one-man fighter pod to carry a year's worth of rations?"

A snort of disbelief from the Prince, "You expect us to believe a non-spacefaring world possesses such an advanced technology?"

"I happen to be the daughter of Chikyuu's most brilliant scientist –Mastertech," she amended almost hesitantly.

"All I hear is a load of nonsense from a mouthy whore and not much reason not to kill you for wasting our time," the Prince sneered.

The Bardock-double looked as if he was going to say something in the woman's defense, the scouter perched on Vegeta's face indicating a sudden rise in the younger Saiya-jin's power level. But a sharp glare from the woman, almost as sharp as the one she sent Prince Vegeta's way, quickly discouraged him of the thought.

She then produced a small device that fit in the palm of her hand before smirking, "If Son-kun or Radditz are anything to go by, you Saiya-jins don't have much in the imagination department. I suppose you go by the Chikyuu-jin adage of: Seeing is Believing." She pressed down on the plunger of the device before throwing it onto the ground where it burst with a pop and the faint hiss of smoke, revealing a mountain of fruits and preserved meats wrapped in an assortment of packets.

"Admittedly this is only enough to last a Saiya-jin a week, but there are other capsule models capable of carrying far greater amounts, and they are not limited to holding food."

"Did you create this, girl?" the King asked, managing to mask his amazement better than the rest of his courtiers.

The Chikyuu-jin shook her head, "Capsules are my father's creation."

"Then why are we talking to you and not your father?" Vegeta scoffed, folding his arms across his chest, whatever modicum of respect he may have had for her gone with her admission. "Did you think we would be more lenient with you because you're a woman?"

"Of course not," she snapped, visibly fighting to control her temper, "You Saiya-jins don't know the meaning of mercy, but you know an opportunity when you see one. If you purge Chikyuu and try to take this technology by force, my father will see to it the plans are destroyed. And precautions to make reverse engineering the Capsules I brought impossible have been made."

"But why ask us to annex you? Wouldn't allying with us be more beneficial to your people?"

"Allying with you would make us easy targets for hostile parties while annexing us would force you to set up a regent to protect us," she looked as if she wanted to roll her eyes, "We wish to have Son Goku as our Saiya-jin regent," she finished.

"What you are asking for is absurd! A lowly Third Class being regent is unheard of!" One of the courtiers declared angrily.

"Is he still a Third Class if his brother and father are both ranked Elite?" the Chikyuu-jin asked sweetly.

"Yes, seeing as he was _born_ a Third Class, he remains a Third Class." the same courtier hissed. "And he failed his purging mission. He ought to be put to death for it!"

"And if he had succeeded with his mission, Capsule technology would have been lost forever," she idly stated as she brought out another capsule before the King, "This one has the capability to miniaturize buildings reaching up to fifteen stories high, think of how much more efficient construction would be, of how high these will sell in the Trading Houses. And all the Empire has to give up is one tiny insignificant planet in a galaxy no one ever passes through and one Third Class Saiya-jin no one would ever miss."

"You forget, girl, that if we do annex your planet, we are bound to protect you. Apart from your Capsules, do you have anything else to offer?"

"I had taken into account your..." _greed_ the thinly veiled disgust in her eyes sneered, "Foresight and will provide the empire my services as a scientist."

The courtiers were murmuring amongst themselves when the Prince voiced out their doubts for them, "And how capable are you as a free-man tech?"

"I happen to have created an array of things, but none of them would interest a Saiya-jin," she huffed, her blue eyes flashing angrily in a manner that gave the Prince the strangest sensation he had seen such a thing before.

"You mean to say you aren't merely riding on your father's success?" the Prince sneered, not quite sure why he was so compelled to provoke the woman, nor why his father hadn't yet chastised him.

He ought to have thought about it sooner, because the next thing he knew, his father had declared: "Then you would have no qualms about proving your worth. Beginning today, you will have one year and not a day more to provide us with something even my technologically disinterested son would approve."

"But it's a four-month journey to Chikyuu!" the girl reasoned, "I can't do anything in cryo-sleep!"

"Then you will have to stay here on Vegeta-sei. If you are worthy then our deal will be finalized. If you aren't, you are to turn over the Capsule technology, and Chikyuu will be purged. Unless you doubt your own talents."

She didn't so much as blink an eye when she answered, "I accept your terms."

"Good, now tell me, Chikyuu-jin, do you have a name?" the King grinned wolfishly.

The girl glanced to Radditz and then to Son Goku before answering, "Bunny. Bunny Briefs, Ou-sama."

And that should have been the end of it, or so Vegeta thought. But after the last of the audience seekers had been addressed for the day, his father suddenly pulled him aside and firmly ordered him "You are to ensure Bunny's safety personally."

"_What!_" Vegeta all but roared, "I am the Crown Prince, you senile old fool! King or no, you cannot relegate me to such a degrading-"

"She is right to want our protection, boy!" the King growled ominously, in a manner he hadn't heard him use in ages, "The empire has many enemies and once they hear of what she and her people will be giving us, they will either try to lure her to join them or kill her before we can get our hands on their technology.

"Nappa has also been telling me your anger still gets the better of you. Consider this as another lesson to learn. If you can't reign in your pride or your temper, I can't trust you to rule over our people without leading them to ruin. And so help me, I will not let you destroy what our ancestors have built in their lifetimes."

* * *

And that was that. Vegeta had been saddled with the onerous task of making certain that mouthy Chikyuu-jin did not meet her demise before his father got the technology. And while it was a relatively simple task, what drove the Prince to pummeling his sparring partners was how he was now forced to stay on the planet for an entire year. He wouldn't be able to go on purging missions or skirmishes or even quell a rebellion for an entire year.

He was going to go mad from the inactivity, he was certain of that. And as Radditz doubled over, coughing up blood before finally succumbing to his injuries, Vegeta absently decided the unseen forces governing the universe must want him to suffer.

The Crown Prince had no idea how right he was.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Yes, I know I'm not fooling any of you readers, we all know who "Bunny" really is. Thank you to everyone who left reviews and feedback. They really brighten my day and make me more eager to work on this. I have an idea for chapter four but I'll be working on my other fics (one of which will only be found on LJ) in the meantime.


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